Patti and Mike Kedziora attended a Trunk or Treat event in Somers Point last year.
VENTNOR – Local families and businesses are invited to participate in the city’s “Trunk or Treat” event slated for 3:30-5:30 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 19 on the beach-block of Newport Avenue.
“We’re trying to get the word out that Ventnor kids can enjoy a family-friendly event that’s safe and fun,” said Patti Kedziora, the mayor’s secretary. She and City Clerk Lisa Hand have teamed up to organize the inaugural event with hopes that it will grow bigger every year.
“I participated in the one in Somers Point and it was great,” Kedziora said. “There were about 350 kids who came by our trunk and they were all in costumes. It was a lot of fun.”
There is enough room on Newport Avenue to accommodate 40 “participants” who will be required to don costumes and decorate the trunks of their vehicles with a theme, while they distribute candy to “trunk or treaters” who are also required to be in costume, Kedziora said.
“Our theme was scarecrows, and my husband and I dressed up as scarecrows and the trunk was decorated with bails of hay, scarecrows and pumpkins. That was an easy theme, but we are hoping our participants will go all out and come up with very creative, kid-friendly themes,” she said.
The deadline to register as a participant is Oct. 5. Kedziora said participants should bring enough candy to treat about 300 children.
“Since this is our first time, we don’t know how many Ventnor kids will show up, so it’s better to have extra candy than be short,” Kedziora said.
Due to the nature of the street and parking configuration, participants will be required to stay in their assigned parking spots for the entire event and for the safety of children will not be able to leave until the event is over.
The location was selected because it is a contained area and there is plenty of lighting, she said.
“We wanted to keep it as simple as possible for the first time,” she said.
But there’s more, she said.
The Ventnor
The Ventnor City Fire Department will hold a marshmallow roast in the beachfront park behind the library, and children will be able to participate in a fun craft event – painting little wooden pumpkins, so the paint dries quickly, she said.
This is not the first time Ventnor has had such an event, Kedziora said. There was a similar event held at the Ventnor Educational Community Complex after Hurricane Sandy in 2012.
“The police were very concerned about children walking along sidewalks as homeowners were cleaning up after the hurricane,” she said.
Flyers about the event are being distributed at the VECC and Kedziora and Hand will be visiting local businesses to encourage them to participate.
There is no cost toregister but participants will be required to show proof of auto insurance. Registration forms and hold-harmless agreements are available on the city’s website, www.ventnorcity.org, or can be picked up at the City Clerk’s Office or the Mayor’s Office at Ventnor City Hall, 6201 Atlantic Ave.
Completed applications can be returned via email to pkedzior@ventnorcity.org or lhand@ventnorcity.org or dropped off at City Hall. Participants can start setting up at 2 p.m. on the day of the event. Approved registration certificates must be displayed in the window of the vehicle.
For more information, call Patti Kedziora at 609-823-7900 or Lisa Hand at 609-823-7904.
